Pick-up and centering device for billet-handling machines



July 17, 1928. 1,677,873

5. SMITH PICK-UP AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR BILLET HANDLING MACHINES Filed March 26. 1926 T'Sheets-Shet Irverzio 1?.

Fig. 2.

Patented July 17, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

SYDNEY SMITH, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE XUELLMAN-SlllAVIElIt-lltllOIt- GAN COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, A'CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PICK-U? AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR BILLET-HANDLING MACHINES.

Application filed March 26, 1926. Serial No. 97,536.

This invention'relates to billet-handling machines and more especially tov machines for transferring billets from a heating furnace to a piercing machine wherein the billet is converted into a tubular blank from which seamless drawn'tubing is manufactured.

It is one of the objects of this inventionto provide the handling mechanism with means for automatically making a central depression in one or both ends of th'e'b'illet so as to facilitate the succeeding piercing operation: It is necessary that the depression-or depressions, referred to, be accurately located' in the ends of the billets and it is a further object of the invention to provide 1 adjustable mechanism for formingthese depressions which willaccommodate the apparatus to billets of different diameters and of difierent' lengths. y

Other objects of the invention and the features of novelty 'wi-llbe apparent from the following description taken in connection' with the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a billet-handling mechanism having my invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3'is an end elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 18 a section onthe line 5'5.of

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates, generally, the trolley of an overhead crane of the type that is commonly used in steel mills for the purpose of handling ingots and billets and more especially of the type that is employed in connection with soaking pits, for the purpose of handling the ingots. The trolley 10 is usually arranged to run back and forth on a travelling bridge of which the beams 11 and 12 are apart, the trolley having wheels 13 which run on rails 14. In

the type of crane referred to, there is usually a revoluble vertically arranged mast 15 at the lower end of which is the mechanism for gripping and carrying the ingot or billet.

According to the present invention, the lower end of the mast 15 is formed with the horizontally projecting bracket 16' and the downwardly projecting bracket 17. The bracket 16 is formed, on its opposite edges,

with gibs 18 on which a bracket 19 is slidable. A horizontallyarranged screw 20 is supported in the cars 21, on the bracket 16, and has threaded connection with the lug 22 on the slide 19 so that the slide 19 may be moved back andforth on the gibs 18 by turn ing the screw 20, which has a squared end 23 for that purpose. I

A plunger 24 is slidably mounted in the bracket 17 and is provided with trunnions 25 on which the links 26 are pivoted. The plunger 24 has a conically shaped punch 27, in its inner end, which is adapted to -engage one end of the billet,at the center thereof, and form a depression .in the billet, this depression subsequently serving as the means for locating the piercing, tool. The bracket 19.has a spur 28 which is in alignment with the punch 27 and which may be of hemispherical form, or of conical form similar, to the punch 27 so as to be adapted to form a depression in the opposite end of the billet. The apparatus may beadjusted for the purpose of handling billets of different lengths by moving the bracket 19, the larges't'billet which the apparatus, illustrated, is capa- 'ble of handling, beingindicated in dotted lines at 29, and the smallest being indicated at 3'0. 3

In order to properly locate the billet with reference to the parts 27 and 28, I provide bracket 19,"slots 33 being provided in the member 31' and bolts 34 being provided for securing the member 31 in any position to which it is adjusted. The member v32 hasa threaded shank 35 which extends through the wall 36 of the member'lfiand is adjust-- able therein and secured in position by means of the nuts 37, on opposite sides of 7 received in a rotatable nut 42 that is driven by m'e'ansof the gearing 43 by any suitable source of power, so that when said nut is rotated in one direction, the crosshead38 is lowered or 'when'the nut is rotated in the op- I 47 connect the upper ends of the levers 44 with trunnions 48 on the crosshead so that the levers 44: are actuated by the crosshead and, in turn, reciprocate the plunger 24.

In the operation of the mechanism, the mast 15 is lowered, until the members 31 and 32 rest on the billet and thereby center the latter with reference to the punch 27 and spur 28. The crosshead 38, having been previously lowered, is then raised, by means of the shaft l0, which causes the plunger 5% to move toward the billet so that the punch 27 will form the depression in the end of the billet. The mast 15 may then be lifted and the billet transported to the piercingmachine, or any other desired destination, and released by simply lowering the crosshead 38, which effects the withdrawal of the punch 27.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple mechanism that will be efficient for the purpose of accurately forming a central depression in the end of the billet and no time will be wasted in performing this operation because it is incidental to the necessary operations of picking up the billet and transferring it to its destination.

While I havedescribed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the details of construction, illustrated and described, are subject to variation without departing from the spirit of the invention .as defined in the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaimisz- 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a lifting member, means carried by said member for positioning an ingot relative thereto, a plunger carried by said member and reciprocable in alignment with the axis of the ingot when so positioned, said plungerhaving a .punch adapted to engage one end of the ingot and form a central depression therein, and means on said member for actuating said plunger.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a lifting member, means carried by said member for positioning .aningot relative thereto, a plunger carried by said member and reciprocable in alignment with the axis of the ingot when so positioned,said plunger having .a punch adapted to engage one end of the lngot and form a-central depresslon therein, means onsaid member for actuating said plunger, and

means on said member opposed to said plunger for engaging the opposite end of the ingot and cooperating with said punch to support theingot while being transported by said apparatus.

3. In apparatus of the class described,- the combination of a lifting member, means carried by said member for positioning an in- 4. In apparatus of the class described, the :1

combination of a lifting member,means carried by said member for positioning an "ingot relative thereto, a plunger carried by said member and reciprocable in alignment with the axisof the ingot when so positioned, said plunger having a punch adapted to'engage one end of the ingot and forma centraldepression therein, a lever fulcrumed on said member and operatively connected with said plunger, to'eft'ect the reciprocation of the 1,:

latter, a vertically movableiactuator of said lever, and a link connecting said lever and said actuator. I

5. In apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a lifting member, amem- :5

her vertically adjustable onthe lifting mem ber and adapted to engage the side of an ingot adjacent one end, a bracket adjustable on the lifting member axially of the ingot, a member vertically adjustable on said I 1 bracket and adapted to engage the side of the ingot adjacent the other end to cooperate with the second-mentioned member in positioning the ingot, means reciprocable on ice the lifting member axially oftheingot and having a punch adapted to form acentral depresslonin one end of the ingot, means carried by said bracket for engaging the opposite end of the ingot to cooperate with said punch and support the ingot while being transported by said apparatus, and means for actuating said reciprocable 6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a lifting member, a member vertically adjustable on the lifting member and adapted to engage the, side of an ingot adjacent one end, a bracket adjustable on the lifting member axially of the ingot, a member vertically adjustable on said bracket and adapted to engage the side of the ingot adjacent the other endto cooperate with the second-mentioned member in positioning the ingot, means reciprocable on the, lifting member axially of the ingot andhavingla punch adapted to form a central depression in one end of the ingot, means carried by said bracket for engaging the opposite end of theiingot to cooperate, with said punch and support the ingot while beingtransported by said apparatus, a leverfulcrumed on said lifting member and operatively connected with said reciprocable means, a vertically movable cross-head on said lifting member, and a link connecting said cross-head and said lever.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a lifting member, a member vertically adjustable on the lifting member and adapted to engage the side of an ingot adjacent one end, a bracket adjustable on the lifting member axially of the ingot, a member vertically adjustable on said bracket and adapted to engage the side of the ingot adjacent the other end to cooperate with the second-mentioned member in positioning the ingot, means reciprocable on the lifting member axially of the ingot and having a punch adapted to form a central depression in one end of the ingot, means carried by said bracket for engaging the opposite end of the ingot to cooperate with said. punch and support the ingot while being transported by said apparatus, said reciprocable member having a pair of trunnions thereon, levers fulcrumed on said lifting member and operatively connected with said trunnions, a vertically movable cross-head on said lifting member and links connecting said cross-head with said levers.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

SYDNEY SMITH. 

